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Rita Farrell

Director, ChildFirst®

Zero Abuse Project

  • BIO
  • SPEAKING
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • VIDEOS
  • NEWS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • MORE INFO
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  • BIO
  • SPEAKING
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • VIDEOS
  • NEWS
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  • MORE INFO

Biography

Rita Farrell has over 23 years of experience working with child abuse investigations as a forensic interviewer and founding executive director of a child advocacy center. In her role as a forensic  interview specialist and trainer for Zero Abuse Project, Rita admits that her role as a forensic  interviewer of child abuse victims is her “true passion.” 

After graduating from Ball State University with a degree in secondary education, Rita began teaching in secondary and post-secondary classrooms. While raising her two sons in Fishers, IN, Rita held various leadership positions throughout the community. In July 2000, Rita undertook the challenge of opening Chaucie’s Place, a child advocacy center in Hamilton County, IN. The combination of her roles as executive director and forensic interviewer naturally led Rita to become involved with state and national organizations in the field of child abuse.

Rita serves as the Director, ChildFirst® for Zero Abuse Project,  managing the national and international ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Training program. She is a co-author of the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol and has conducted more than 2,900 child interviews. In addition, she manages the development of advanced training courses and programs for forensic interviewers and investigators.

Rita is a certified law enforcement instructor and still conducts forensic interviews in the field. She has testified in numerous court cases and has authored many peer-reviewed articles specific to child abuse investigations and forensic interviewing of child abuse victims. As a national speaker, Rita continues to champion the cause of child advocacy and forensic interviewing. Rita serves as a board member for the Indiana Coalition of Child Advocacy Centers. She is a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and serves on numerous councils, task forces, and boards in the areas of child abuse and domestic violence. Rita was presented with the U.S. Attorney General’s award for “Outstanding Service to Victims of Crime” by the U.S. Attorney General of Indiana and is also the recipient of the “Champion for  Children” award. 

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Speaking Topics

Expert TestimonyForensic InterviewingHuman TraffickingInvestigationMaltreatmentMandated ReporterMedical IssuesMultidisciplinary TeamNeglect

Testimonials

"This was the best training I have received in all my years in law enforcement"
"As an interviewer, Rita is such an inspiration for me, she makes me want to be a better forensic interviewer"
"Rita emphasizes real life examples of best practices in written material!"

Additional Information

Forensic interviewing 
  • ChildFirst Forensic Interview Protocol training
  • Forensic interviewing of children 
  • Expanded forensic interviews 
  • Interviewing reluctant children 
  • Shadow children - Addressing child sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation within the family
  • Interviewing victims of trafficking 
  • Overcoming difficult situations in forensic interviews
  • What question do I ask next?...Breaking down our forensic interviewing questions 
  • Interviewing children with development challenges
  • Forensic interviews with adolescents 
  • Forensic interviews with young children 
  • Peer review and our forensic interviews 
  • The use of anatomical dolls and diagrams in the forensic interview 
  • Recording technology and the child interview
  • Conducting and Defending a Pandemic-Era Forensic  Interview 
  • Forensic interviewer questions and suggestibility
Child maltreatment 
  • Our FIRST response to child maltreatment - First responder interviews 
  • Mandated reporting 
  • Child abuse dynamics and disclosure 
  • Child development 
  • Assessing children’s statements 
Forensic interviewing and court 
  • Defending the forensic interview in court
  • Forensic interviewers working with their prosecutor
  • Corroborating evidence within the scope of the forensic interview: Wait, I’m not an investigator, so what does that even mean? 
  • Understanding and defending recantation in cases of child abuse 
  • Preparing children for court 
Law enforcement investigations 
  • Developing effective MDTs 
  • Corroborating the forensic interview
  • Recognizing child maltreatment 
  • 911 calls involving children 
  • Your FIRST response 
  • Dynamics of abuse and maltreatment
  • Polyvictimization and our cases 
  • Human trafficking 
  • Testifying in court 
  • Corroborating evidence 
Multidisciplinary team/CAC 
  • Playing nice in the sandbox- Developing effective multidisciplinary teams 
  • Preparing children for our process: Finding the balance between saying too much, but not saying enough 
  • Responding to Child Abuse in a Pandemic: 25  tips for MDTs 
  • Child Advocacy Center development
Prevention 
  • Empower Me! - K-6th child abuse prevention education 
  • Self-care for teens 
  • Smart not scared - Personal safety messages for teens and college students 
Expert witness 
  • Forensic interviewing 
  • Delayed disclosure 
  • Recantation

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Zero Abuse Project is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to the elimination of child sexual abuse. Our programs are designed to provide training and education to professionals and students, and to help transform institutions to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse.

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